Liverpool Transfer News: Mauro Icardi 'Willing' to Move, Latest Reds Rumours

Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi is reportedly open to a transfer to Liverpool, according to Fichajes (h/t Daily Mirror).

The 22-year-old forward has emerged as one of Serie A's top strikers since joining the Nerazzurri, but he was recently dropped from the starting XI for the all-important clash with AS Roma, sparking plenty of transfer rumours.

Manager Roberto Mancini quickly moved to downplay the decision to sit him, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). However, since then, a host of Premier League clubs have reportedly emerged as suitors, according to many outlets (h/t Football Italia).

Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sport Witness) even claimed Inter sporting director Pie­ro Au­si­lio is already in England and could be open to the idea of parting with Icardi, despite the player's importance to the club.

Just 22 years old, Icardi is already Inter's captain and the club's most deadly scorer, netting 22 times in 33 Serie A starts last season, per WhoScored.com.

FourFourTwo's Adam Digby thinks his instincts in front of goal are unmatched on the Italian peninsula:

Blessed with excellent athleticism and an incredible nose for goals, Icardi usually plays as Inter's main target man, and he's often responsible for most of the danger the Italian side creates.

He also has a tendency to be really selfish on the pitch, although that has actually served him well with Inter. Prior to the arrival of Stevan Jovetic, the Nerazzurri were desperately short of scoring options, but the Serb and Ivan Perisic have taken much of the load off Icardi's back.

Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images

From a pure football point of view, Icardi would make a great addition to the Liverpool squad, providing he can learn to be content with a smaller role and figures out he doesn't have to score all of his team's goals.

He has the physical stature to be a target man and hold up the ball in the Premier League, and his mobility would be a great fit in manager Jurgen Klopp's fast-paced system.

Icardi's biggest issue remains his mentality, however. The Reds' recent history with controversial, selfish players coming from the Serie A is spotty at best, to put it lightly, and the memories of Mario Balotelli's spell with the club still linger at Anfield.

Like Icardi, Balotelli is a supremely gifted young striker with an impressive scoring record, but he never adapted to the English game, was seemingly unwilling to work his hardest and quickly became an unpopular figure among the Liverpool faithful.

And while the Italian's time with the club was a major disappointment, it's worth remembering he moved to Anfield for a relatively modest transfer fee, given his obvious talents. He only cost the Reds £16 million, per the Daily Mail's Alex Miller, and Icardi would be a far more expensive purchase in January.

He may not have started against Roma, but he remains Inter's captain and top attacking option. The Nerazzurri won't part with him cheaply, so unless Icardi can show he has matured enough to warrant such an investment, he may present too much of a risk for Liverpool.

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